Morning Money Memo…

The Christmas parcel rush went much better than last year, when bad weather contributed to major shipping snafus. But how did retailers do with their late promises to customers? The online commerce research firm StellaService did a performance test on 40 large retailer, placing orders on the advertised Christmas cutoff date. "Retailers did a nice job this year on fulfillment," said Kevon Hills, StellaService vice president of research. "You saw many of these packages leave the warehouse the same day the order was placed, which is the best effort the retailer can make. Everyone seemed to learn from last year's woes and make the proper improvements." For orders placed on December 23, Apple, Nordstrom, Dell and Amazon delivered all packages on time-before Christmas Day. Overall, 7 percent of the gifts ordered on the Christmas cutoff deadline didn't make it. Staples and Toys 'R' Us, missed their promised delivery deadline more than once in this test. Online stores used UPS more than any other parcel delivery firm.

Sony says its PlayStation Network is back online after three days of disruptions that began on Christmas. But the company says heavy traffic might continue to cause problems for customers seeking to play their favorite games. A group of hackers called Lizard Squad - or someone claiming to speak for it - took credit for the disruptions. Sony vice president Catherine Jensen added that "PlayStation Network and some other gaming services were attacked over the holidays with artificially high levels of traffic to disrupt connectivity and online gameplay."

The biggest threat to U.S. economic growth in 2015 may come from overseas. The ruble extended its losses on today after a report showed the Russian economy has started shrinking in annual terms for the first time since 2009 as the country is buffeted by falling oil prices and Western sanctions. The Russian government, which has been scrambling to support the ruble and the economy, announced fresh steps to keep the banks afloat.

An early election in Greece is the latest worry for global financial markets. The January 25 vote was called after the Greek Parliament failed to elect a new president in a third and final round of voting. The move could endanger the international financial bailout for Greece The Euro is down this morning against the dollar. The main Greek stock index fell nearly 10 percent. Asian stocks were mostly higher today after a report China will change banking rules in an apparent effort to boost lending and economic growth as oil prices rebounded.

Richard Davies Twitter: daviesnow